Apparatus for cigar machines



"i Q9, 1 INVENTOR J. NEUMAIR 2,785,682

I APPARATUS FOR ClGAR MACHINES Filed March 17, 1951 March 19, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 JOSEPH A. NEUMAIR 1 In BYM&

V ATTORNEY J. A. NEUMAIR APPARATUS FOR CIGAR MACHINES Mar E9, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 17 I951 m w m h u .a Y 5 mm m .w -38 M m ,wb. S N w m m (Q9 m A wsw w bum w March 19, 196? J. A. NEUMABR APPARATUS FOR CIGAR MACHINES 5 SheetsSheet 4 Filed Marsh 17'. 1951 FiG.6

INVENT R JOSEPH A. NEUMAIR BY; F H z:

ATTORNEY March 19, 1957 J. A. NEUMAIR APPARATUS FOR CIGAR MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 'Filed March 17 1951 wk \R Q buw JOSEPH A. NEUMAIR BY? F ATTORNEY mdl,

United States Patent APPARATUS FoR CIGAR MACHINES Application March 17, 1951, Serial No. 216,129

16 Claims. (Cl. 13138) This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for feeding cigar bunches or defectively wrapped cigars, and more specifically for feeding such articles to the wrapper applying section of a cigar machine.

The invention provides an efllcient method of re-wrapping cigars originally rejected for wrapper defects. These rejected cigars are now either sold as seconds or manually re-fed into the wrapping mechanism of cigar machines for re-wrapping. This latter method is hazardous from the safety viewpoint. It is also slow and costly since an operator cannot manually supply a machine at full capacity. She will either miss some of its cycles. orstop .and start the machine for each cigar. Moreover, each machine requires a feed operator. With my'invention, rejects may be accumulated and then quick lyjand safely re-wrapped on several machines operating at full capacity and supplied by but one feed operator.

The invention consists in mechanically feeding cigar bunches to an existing cigar machine to utilize at full capacity the wrapper applying mechanisms thereof. The feed device may be transferred from one machine to another and is therefore readily adaptable to as many types of cigars as desired. I 7

It is an object of my invention to provide an apparatus for automatically feeding cigar bunches from a source of supply that may be readily and quickly attachedto and detached from existing cigar machines without' m'aterial alteration. I I It is a further object of my invention to utilize the existing movement of the cigar machine for motive power and to thereby coordinate the mechanical feeding of the cigar bunches with the normal cycle of the machine.

It is another object of my invention to provide a method and 'an apparatus for feeding group lots of. cigar bunches to the end that one feed operator may SuPPly' several machines at the same time.

It is still another object of my invention to provide feeding apparatus capable of handling the various shapes and sizes of cigars without employing costly model parts.

The apparatus can thus be moved from a cigar machine for one size and/or shape of cigarto another machine of different size and/or shape. In the accompanying drawings which form apart of this specification I have illustrated an embodinientbf my invention. f v Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the automatic cigar feeding mechanism; 1 v.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same as seen from line 22 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a partial rear elevation of the same taken on line33 ofFig.2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are detailed end elevations illustrating the successive steps of removing cigars from'the feeding mechanism and forwarding same to a suitable transfer device;

Fig. 6 is a sectional side elevation illustrating the transfer of a cigar from a hopper to a transfer cradle;

Fig. 7 is a detailed endelevation illustrating the transmoves the piston against spring 124.

Patented Mar. 19, 1957 fer of a cigar from a cradle into a cigar transfer mechanism of the cigar machine; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view illustrating the automatic cigar feeding device in conjunction with an existing cigar machine.

With reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the cigar feeding mechanism consists of a base 20 supported by legs 22, 24 which are secured to the main body of a cigar machine of the type disclosed in the patent to Wheeler 2,316,828, granted April 20, 1943. Projecting from the top of the base 20 are a pair of bearing brackets 28, 30 which support a vertical plate 32. This plate 32 forms the rear wall of a rectangular shaped hopper H wherein are stacked the cigar bunches C that are to be wrapped or re-wrapped as the case may be. a

The sides of this hopper H are formed by a pair 0 L-shaped plates 34 and 36. The short legs of these side plates are adjustably secured to the rear plate 32. The front wall of the hopper H consists of a removable plate 38 slidably secured to the side Walls 'by means of the brackets 45, 50 and the L-shaped members 40, 42 respectively. The bottom of the hopper H is formed by agitator plates 52, 54 pivotally attached by hinges 56, 58 to the side plates 34, 36 respectively.

0n the bottom side of agitator plate 52 (54) is-a bracket 82 (68) connected to a crank arm 78 (64) by a link (66). p The crank'arm 78 (64) is securedto a shaft 76 (62) supported in a suitable bearing of the bracket 28 (30).

The cranks 70, 72 are secured to the shafts 62, 76 respectively at their other end (Fig. 3) and the link 74 connects these cranks so that rotary movement of the shaft 62 will affect a similar movement of the shaft 76, causing the bottom plates 52, 54 to move up and down; The movement of these bottom plates funnels cigars from the hopper into a'vertical guide chute 92 consisting of side plates 84, 86 mounted on bars 88, 90 respectively and front end strip 104 (Fig. 1). ,The bars 8 8, 90 are 'adjustably held against plate 32 by screws passing through enlarged holes 94.

' The bottom cigar in the chute 92 rests on'the receiving trough-like'arm 103. Referring to Figs. 2 and 6,,the receiving 103 has integral ,legs .106, 108 pivotally supported on pins 110, 112, which are mounted in integral bearing lugs of the base 20.

The arm 103 is operated by pin 114 extending into the leg 106 and engaging a slot 116 in a block 118, adjustably mounted on a piston rod 120. The rod 120' is supported in a suitable bore of the base 26. The com pression spring 124 bearing against the ,piston l22 moves the receiving arm to the position illustrated in Fig. 5. A pin 126,'whose movement will be later described,

.There is alsosecured to the shaft62 a crank arm 132 having 'on its. free end a roller 134. This roller is held in. engagement with the top of vertical slidingrack 136 by a tension'spring 133 anchored on its one, end to the rack and'its other end to the arm-132. The rackf136. is slidably supported by two tracks 138, 140 mounted on, bearing bracket 30. The rack 136 drives a pinion gear 146 secured to one end of shaft 148 freely supported in suitable, bearings of bracket 30. A gear 150 mounted. on the other end of the shaft148 engages a horizontally:

sliding rack 152 mounted to' slide on the base 201m track 156 formed by bar 154 and the bracket 30. At" tached to the'mid-portion of the rack 152'is a bracket 158 adjustably supporting the pusher arm or fing'erl'160;

The entire movement of my new cigar feed .is'taken from an already existing reciprocating carriage 172 on a a track 174 and activated by a cam lever 173 to whichit is connected by the link 176. This carriage is normally. used to carry binder cutter rollers similar to those in Fig.- 1, the pin .166 engagestheforward end of the f of the arrow. As me-firmer) moves, gtvvo ditferent op- -At-the same time, the pin,;126 moves out of contact and 194 and bridge block 19,0 secured-to side -barq15 4.-

iniainifng moti n qf he. rmfimthe tension pring 2133- w 7 yields as the rack'136 CZDIlOlZ lhfEDfOHOW'ilLS21'01151' '134. 1

' latter arm is freely'mount'ed' on apinl tn held'by =the'; i si a defective w per cf l 'hracket28 As ;th e arm 60 reaches'thelimitrofa-itstravel;

the; delivery arm 19.6;with th e' igar on itwillili'ftthesamea' i from the position 1. shown. inn l-fig. 6.:to' theidotted line position II. .A s the. cigarisfelevated'zto position ILthe ,7

f head endis lo'cated'in apfedeter'mined.position by conwhatlclalmjlsi 1' t tact with the. short leg'of;an L-shaped :guide12'06 mounted- 1 -.A. vf et a t b r te si at a me r f 7 his tran er. .mechanismieonsists of: therr statioiiary closedin. thepatent to Whee1er-2;281,004 -granted Junestroke,---the-cigar-is'moved -by the 'delivery -arm 'into the 16, 1942. The binder cutter rollers, not shown, are rejaws of the transfer mechanism T. moved from the carriage 1-72 to which the member 162 'The bar 200 is also pivotal-1y connected to one end of is thensecuredbyfscrewsf An adjustable connecting rod a lever 222 pivoted on a pin 224 and carrying a finger, 164 is coupled to the member 162-bya pin- 16 ;engaging 228 on its free end. As the bar 200 reaches the end of a slot l168 in the connecting rod; The, -connecting rod its stroke and the deliveryarrn .196 raises the cigar into 164 is :fastened t'o the =free end -of:an ar'm- 60 secured; to the jaws of the transfer mechanism, the fi gr228 trips the shaft 62. The pin 126 is secured to themidpOfibn the latch -216-so' that-the transfer jaws may close under ofathearm 60.' Q r thetcompulsion-of compression spring 220. g As thescarriage moves in the direction of the arrow As the carriage 172 returns to ward :the position;;s hown turnedpby the spring 230.to the:receiving position against the adjustable stop screw-23.4 in'the bridge-block 190;

' The pusher armlQQ re turnsfto itswriginal position as slot -ls'and the arm 60- begins to'rotatefinEthedirection erations {startsimultaneouslyQ The 'shaft 62"i *rotated land withitthe shaft 76-:by-virtue of the linkage 10 the roller 134 contacts the upper edge of the rack 136 through the gear'train previously described, Receiving arm 103'mpves' back to its receivingposition' (Fig. ,1 as the returning pin 126 r'e engag es" the piston -1 22.- in The return movement of the arm 6oitselfiis-finally with the head "of piston122 and the spring 124 urges arrested whenan adjustable stop screw-130 mounted on the piston forwardso that the block 118 will movefrom one end of thepin 126;contacts the-edge of-thebase20, the position shown in Fig.4 to that of Fig. 5. 7 as shown in Fig. 3. p

Y 7 Thismovementis arrested by the adjustable stops'cre'w i g the rn S r ke.0f-the'carriage172 the posi- 180 contacting the base 20 as shown in Fig.5. As the tion f 'p n 166 with lfi t0 theslo't 1 6 11 block ll8'moves to its new position the piny114. moves e e 1 vis maintainedflunder t flu n of the receiving arm 103 and the cigar'thereimtoa position directlyi'n'line with the pusher arm ,160 as shown in Fig.5. n

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 itawill-be seen that a the completes its return stroke-as showngin Fig.1 receiving" arm 1113 pivots to its new position, the plate With the cigarin thetransfer .T; the't ransferia'rmf23 6 182 adjustably secured to said .arm moves beneath'the iszro a byshaft YI eansn ShO IQ h .d iqfl chute92 to support the cigars therein. Meanwhile, shaft 62 is rotating so that the arm .132 moves itsr0ller134 away from the rack 136. I Because'ofthe tension of the 74 72." The-rotation-ofthesetwoshatts oscillates the plates-352 and-54 through thelinkage' associatedwith the crank arms 78 and 64 respectively.

. return movement of the arm- 60* thespring yield s'and cigar-rtherebylocatingthejcam piece'240 in thepath of asv indicated by the arrow in Fig. -3. This movement, by V V means of the gears 146 and 150, .advances rack-152 and 6 d ps a n h n rpositionirandithe ar i the pusher arm 16: attached thereto. Z 1 i released into the pe j w lTh t t pp rgiaws may Referrin to' Fig, 6, furthermovement of the-arm 60. j of course; beadilisted so as not to rimnfif sod r d causes the pusher 160 to move the cigar from'larm 1103" 4G Rf T gI -,3 1 lat v po i on of t e-W througha U-shaped channel formedbyside plates 19 2 Q S H Ifi S O a e g r mach neiis i lustrated." The opp H1 andithe feed mechanism.ar e mounted onthe bed of. During this movement of the cigar from the-receiving e ma hine adjacentthe binderdiet rre B.- andingfroli? arm 103 the upper retaining plate 188 securedito plate I 8.6jprevents any tendency of thecigar't'o move =npward; lig t y 10' the right. of thefeedmmhanismsand the transrather than forward, under-the compulsionoLth pnshing "f erT; 7 77 arm 160." a T I' f i a 1 i After the' cigaris' p1aced'inithee'rimper K. thetjawslof The pusherarm 160 continues-:-its {motion nntiljthe 1 the crimper'op e'nand another transer arm1244 removes cigar has moved through thecha-nneLand Onto. the de-: 7 the cigar and ,'foi'\vards it toa wrappingdeviceiw, sushi-as 1 ivery arm 196 to comegtofrest'as 5hQW1ii11;,Fig i at isdisclosed iinthe patent ..to.Durning,. 2 ,29.Q,l7l. granted dotted po'sition L Themotio'n 0f. the'transfergrack 152 Iulyj2 1,' 1942. ,Here the cigarnwr appen cut. on d e (if-the wrapperturret DQbylthe ;.cutting;ro1 le rs..E is fore warded oncarrier 248 to thegwrapping statio WQwhere it is'wqunda ounq'therci ar c. Y

is then arrested when the pin-18. -(Fig-i2;);;contacts .;the-' endlofa 510L186 in thef side bar 1.54.1 pDm ing the re;

cfitfitegfollfdevitie lifwhrethewrapper moothe d I th n cbntinues throughlthemachineqtolthe. tio n'after trimming and knurliri'glbyiileans-not ho 'Ihisl inventio n -isi.designed,.p" 'ncip'ally..fo1-. e;

As, the; arm "continu'e s {It}; rotate :lthezshaftt62; Tan

. m'ay orn iay not' still be on the fcigar? A'cco n 7 terms Cigar, ,cigar'hunchor;unfinished cigarfa V 7 I 'anidin the clfa'ims shall include smih defectlvefciga ,ciganbunchesgij V V hemlock-204 securedltmplate 194 (Fig's'.;2 and 3). having atileas't 0111C illeciprlocafifigi 1531i nipyable eachitim ,At-thispoint, the transfer:mechanism-T ot the-cigar machinejdwells, in';the;,position illustrated in Figs'E-6 and agig irsme ir .mea uafiaiare prq uap j e I er-f9 ai meansan saidramwvhere said cigar machine.

in Fig. 1, the arm 196 with it s'associated linkage is'respring 170. However, as thestopgscrew fI SllE-afieststhe 'the pin'ltifi moves in thejslot 168 until theijearri agelfl line position of .Fig. f7 The crixnper'jaws'close' on the a screw 242. threaded "in 'one'end of the .jaw 212. .As i

'7 spring 133, the rack 136 will follow, the roller upwards the. ar m"23j6 st arts'to return a sprew 242M he cam piece 240 to open the jaw .212' whereuponithe'latch of thetrans'fef'T. The crimper'K is locatedjbetvve'en and I V i garttansfer armlfitl.theu moyes'theaivrappedcigan 4 V V P QFQW Q e dime ine se dedev qegom i y e laqhed; ozacigamnachineitogteed} 1 n a i 2. A device, suitable for attachment to a cigar machine having parts movable each time a cigar is operated upon by said machine, comprising a hopper having side and end walls and a bottom, said bottom having a slotted opening therein for discharging cigars stacked in said hopper, a chute beneath said opening to receive a single row of cigars, a substantially horizontal channel adapted to support and longitudinally guide a single cigar, carriage means adapted to transfer one cigar at a time from said chute to said channel, a finger resiliently driven along said channel and adapted to engage and move a single cigar to the discharge end of said channel, a single drive member in said device, said drive member being operatively attached to said transfer means and said finger to move said transfer means and said finger, said drive member being moved by'a unitary instrumentality to deliver a single cigar, vsaid drive member having attachment means for connection to said unitary instrumentality of said cigar machine whereby said device may be conveniently attached to a cigar machine and operated therefrom.

3. A device, suitable for attachment to a cigar machine having a part that reciprocates each time a cigar is operated upon by said machine, said device comprising a hopper having side and end walls and a bottom, said bottom having movable sections, at least one of said sections being spaced sufficiently from another section to' form an opening throughwhich an unfinished cigar may be discharged during movement of said movable sections, and a mechanism operative to receive a .cigar discharged through said opening and move it to a predetermined'position, a pivoted lever, means to connect one end of said lever to said reciprocating part, other means to connect said lever to said transfer mechanism to operatively move it, and a crank movable about the pivot point of said lever to oscillate said bottom sections whereby said, device is entirely operated fromsaid reciprocating part of a cigar machine when said lever is securedthereto to deliver cigars intimed relation to a predetermined'section of said machine. p

4. An accessory device, suitable for attachment to a cigar machine, comprising a hopper for stacking a supply of cigar bunches, said hopper having adjustable side and end walls and a bottom'having an opening therein-sufiicient to discharge a cigar bunch, agitation devices in said hopper operative to aid thepassage of a cigar bunch through said opening, delivery means suitable for feeding one cigar, a channel through which cigar bunches discharged from said opening maybe fed to said delivery means, and a driven member mounted to be driven from an outside source of mechanical movement, and. means operatively connected to said driven member to move said agitation devices, and-further means'operated by said driven member'to operate saiddelivery means.

5. A device, suitable for attachment to a cigar machine, comprising a hopper having side and end walls and a bottom having movable sections, one of said sections being spaced from an adjacent section to define an opening of V predetermined size,'a chute positioned beneath said opening having four side walls only, a movable cradle suitable to support a cigar bunch positioned beneath said chute, a horizontal channel, a member slidable along said horizontal channel, a positionable delivery member at the end of said channel, and driven means operatively mounted to oscillate themovable-section of said hopper bottom, and to move said cradle from the bottom of said chute. to said horizontal channel, and to slide said slidable memher along said horizontal channel, and t o position said delivery member at the end of said channel, whereby cigar bunches placed in said hopper will be agitated by the oscillation of said bottom plates to pass through said opening and be aligned in said chute, transferred one at a time by said cradle from said chute'to saidhorizontal channel, individually moved along said horizontal channel by said slidable member and positioned on said delivery member;

6. In combination with a cigar machine having parts movable each time a cigar is operated upon, a cigar feed mechanism comprising a hopper having side and end walls and a bottom having movable plates separated from each other a predetermined distance greater than the diameter of a cigar to define an opening through which a cigar may pass, a substantially vertical feed chute positioned beneath said opening and adapted to receive a single column of cigars, said chute having side and end walls, a movable receiving arm having a U-shaped portion adapted to receive a cigar from said vertical chute, a sub stantially horizontal U-shaped channel positioned to receive a cigar from said receiving arm, a pusher finger operatively mounted to move an individual cigar along said horizontal channel, a delivery arm positioned at the end of said horizontal channel to receive the cigar moved along by said finger, a transfer clawj on said cigar machine, means to position said delivery arm so said cigar may engage the transfer claw of said cigar machine while it is open, means on said delivery arm operative to close said transfer claw as it engages said cigar, a connecting link connected to said movable parts of said cigar machine, means, engaged by said connecting link, operative to oscillate said bottom plates to re-position cigars in said hopper and to move said receiving arm and said pusher finger and said delivery arm in timed relation to the movable parts "of the cigar machine whereby said feed mechanism will deliver one cigar to said transfer claw on each cycle of said cigar machine.

7. In combination, a cigar machine having a transfer mechanism, a part movable on said cigar machine in timed relation to the cycle of said machine, a cigar feeding device'operative from said movable part, said device comprising a hopper having end and side walls and a bottom comprising oscillating plates movably secured adjacent the bottom of opposing walls of said hopp'ensaid plates being separated from each other a distance corresponding to the diameter of a cigar whereby upon oscillation of said plates cigars will pass between said plates andfrom said hopper, a vertical chute having side and end walls posi tioned beneath said hopper to receive cigars in single stacked alignment, a movable receiving arm positioned beneath said vertical chute having a U-shaped member adapted to receive one cigar at a time from said chute,a

horizontal U-shaped channel positioned to receive a cigar from said receiving arm, a member positioned on said receiving arm to move beneath cigars in said vertical chute when said receiving arm moves to transporta cigarto said horizontal channel, a pusher finger slidably mounted to move along said U-shaped channel to push a cigar horizontally along and beyond said channel, a delivery arm positioned at the end of said channel having a U-shaped member co-extensive with said channel .and adapt edto receive a cigar moved by said pusher finger, and asingle means operated by the movable parts of the cigar machine to oscillate said bottom plates and move said receiving arm, said pusher finger and said delivery arm in timed relation to said cigar machine to feed cigars to the transfer mechanism of said cigar machine. 7 i w 8. In combination a cigar machine having a wrapper applying station, a cigar transfer mechanism forwardly of said wrapper applying station, said transfer me"chariisrn having gripping means and an instrumentality thereontfor operating said gripping means, a driven mechanism on said cigar machine, a cigar feeding device attached to said driven mechanism and motivated thereby,.said device comprising a source of loosely stacked cigar bunches, a movable delivery member having a finger to engage the mstrumentality on said transfer mechanism to close said gripping means as said delivery member moves into proximity with said transfer mechanism, means operative to feed cigar bunches one at a time from said source onto, 'sa1d movable delivery member, said delivery member'be ing operatively connected to the driven member, of said cigar machine so that it is moved thereby in timed rela tion to said transfer mechanism to close said gripping a member movable to engage said mechanical transfer to operate its gripping elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS King Aug. 3, 1880 Herrington Apr. 29, 1902 Waldronv June 18, 1907 Fassinger Jan. 8, 1918 Muller July 30, 1918 Blasco et a1. Aug. 27, 1929 Beutel et a1 Dec. 29, 1931 Patterson et al. Feb. 27, 1934 10 Bliss June 5, 1934 Neumair Nov. 29, 1938 Chalmers May 23, 1939 Milmoe et a1. Nov. 14, 1939 Rober et a1. Feb. 2, 1943 Halstead Nov. 20, 1945 Betge Oct. 17, 1950 Goerlitz Oct. 14, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Apr. 15, 1900 France Feb. 5, 1900 

